Setting up ResMed S9 VPAP ST Help ....

[BTS]

No idea if anyone can help me here with this but recently have been moved off the ASV machine due to medical / heart issues and having more complications with the COPD... I have both Central and Obstructive Apnea, in the severe area... I am back using the ResMed S9 ST for a month or 2 until I can get another machine helping more with COPD. Until then I was curious what a good starting setting would be on this machine seeing that all the previous settings on it were cleared and not really to sure where to begin. My profile is still showing the ASV settings so perhaps something close to those? Any help would be great, thank you so much ....

[Pugsy]

Sorry... I am not much help because your settings are for an auto adjusting back up rate machine and obviously the ST is a fixed machine.
The ASV auto adjusted respiration rate and pressure needs for both obstructive and centrals (PS goes higher for centrals).
It only breathed for you when it thought you needed help...the ST is going to do it come hell or high water whether you need it or not.
The COPD issues complicate things because you aren't moving enough air normally.
With the ST you have to set a pre determined back up respiration rate setting where the machine will breathe for you whether you need it or not and I have no idea what might be the best rate for you with your COPD.

This is really something your doctor needs to sign off on. I am not comfortable dial a wingin with both centrals and COPD involved with a fixed pressure machine.
He/she prescribed it and he/she needs to figure out what he/she wants the machine to do for you.
COPD means the lungs are damaged and I wouldn't want to offer an idea that might cause more damage.
There might also be some target volume settings involved...again what they might need to be depends on your COPD.
Maybe the regular default settings aren't sufficient or maybe too much. I don't know. It's complicated and complicated is best left to the professionals. IMHO

[raisedfist]

The S9 VPAP ST is perfectly capable for treating COPD. All you need is pressure support and a backup rate for the central apnea. I would really work with your physician since you're going to be using the machine to treat a lung disease and you can cause some problems if you go just fiddling around with the settings without knowledge of what they do.

For now, given that you have known OSA and lung disease, I would *personally* start at IPAP 10 and EPAP 6 with a backup rate of 10 or 12bpm. You want the minimum settings that achieve your goals. I would put those basic settings in and then post some charts, and we can go from there.